1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bracket for mounting pumps and refers more particularly to a mounting bracket adapted to releasably support a suitable centrifugal flow pump of the type associated with boats, wherein the mounting bracket includes a removable pump-support carriage member in which the pump is fixedly secured.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, various problems and difficulties are encountered in providing suitable means for pumping water directly into a bait tank, particularly of the type that is removably mounted to the transom at the rear of a boat. Pumps that are used for pumping water to a bait tank are generally referred to as bait pumps. These pumps are often fixedly mounted inside the hull to the rear of the boat and are interconnected to an inlet device that is mounted in the bottom wall of the hull so as to draw water from the body of water in which the boat is located. The bait pump outlet is commonly attached to a bait tank by a suitable arrangement.
Another type of pump apparatus comprises a bait pump which is mounted to the bait tank with a hose that extends downwardly along the outer side of the transom so as to be positioned well below the waterline. The terminating end of the hose is provided with a one-way valve and a kelp filter which extends below the hull.
In both of these arrangements the pump must be in constant operation in order for water to readily flow into the bait tank while the boat is moving as well as at rest. A continuous flow of circulated water must flow through the bait tank in order to keep the live fish being used as bait from dying.
However, these water flow arrangements as well as other well known water flow systems do not allow fresh water to flow through the pump system without the pump being continuously turned on. That is, such systems as described will only allow the water to flow while the pump is in operation.
Until the present time there has been no simple apparatus that provides for a bait pump to be mounted adjacent the bottom edge of the outer side of a transom so that the pump is submerged below the waterline of the boat, and whereby the water is permitted to flow through the system to the bait tank without the need to operate the bait pump while the boat is moving at a suitable speed.